Chapter 001: What Have You Done, Victor?
****
Luna Vardis, with most of her memories still sealed away, had now taken the form of an 18-year-old beautiful human girl. In truth, she was a mysterious, shapeshifting white cat—one who claimed to be an Astral Guardian, a mystical being from a realm beyond mortal understanding.
The parking lot of Sakamiya University had become a war zone several hours after the sudden appearance of a mysterious rift known as the Void Gate. At exactly 11:30 AM—over forty minutes ago—the gate had turned a deep crimson before unleashing monstrous entities now known as Chaos Beasts.
Luna had aided the Japanese military by urgently summoning the Absolute Holy Barrier—two colossal golden domes of pure mystical energy. One was cast to protect the campus buildings and everyone inside. The other was used to trap all the monsters within the parking lot zone after more than fifty people—including civilians, military personnel, and police officers—were killed within minutes of the initial outbreak.
After the barrier has been set, the Japanese military responded with full force, unleashing their most devastating high tech heavy weaponry. Thanks to Luna's barrier, they successfully eliminated all monsters inside the containment zone. Not a single bullet, laser or missile caused collateral damage.
Their final assault had involved a Magma Cannon—a weapon of last resort that transformed the entire parking lot into a blazing sea of molten magma and sulfur.
Once every Chaos Beast had been incinerated and had been reduced to ash, General Victor ordered an emergency cooling operation, carried out by multiple helicopters to stabilize the area.
But now… all of them were about to face the consequences of the general's most recent decision.
****
(Present Time)
Monday, October 20, 2025
Sakamiya District – Central Tokyo, Japan
Sakamiya University Main Building
The Conference Room 2nd Floor
12:15 PM
Still resting briefly to recover some of her mystic energy, Luna Vardis remained stiffly seated in her chair. Her gaze was fixed intently on the drone feed displayed on several monitors above the large conference table. Unlike everyone else, she had not smiled once since the battle had ended. Luna appeared to be deeply engrossed, thinking seriously about something.
Her ice-blue eyes remained locked onto the live drone feed, carefully scanning the battlefield that was slowly cooling down, watching the dying embers fade away under the midday sunlight, and her golden barrier shimmering faintly across the campus grounds.
Haruto Mori, a fourth year college student, quietly approached Luna, coming to stand beside her without a word. He could sense it too—a peculiar unease, a strange emptiness lingering around them.
Why am I feeling this anxiety? Is there something strange about all this?.. Haruto thought, bothered by an elusive feeling he couldn't clearly define. An unsettling tension that persisted even while everyone around him celebrated. Why don't I feel happy and relieved like everyone else?..
Kanna Fujita, a third year college student, moved to join them, her brow knitted with concern. "Haruto-kun, why does this feel so... strange?"
It feels wrong… as if we've forgotten something important…
Haruto's eyes widened slightly—surprised that Kanna felt it too. "Kanna-chan, you sense it as well? I feel like this isn't finished yet. Something's wrong, and… and this feeling… this uneasiness is like… something vital we've forgotten but are desperately trying to remember. That feeling is making me anxious." Haruto struggled to put into words exactly what was troubling him, his mind desperately searching for answers.
They had all forgotten something…
"Yes, Haruto-kun. I feel it too, this restlessness—like something major is missing from this celebration. It seems as though it's not the right time to..." Kanna's sentence was suddenly cut short by Luna's sharp interruption.
"QUIET! Just give me a moment… I need to think clearly." Luna snapped firmly. "I sense the same thing—strongly, even. This felt too easy… too quick… We—" Luna abruptly halted mid-sentence, eyes shifting urgently toward another drone feed on the monitor.
Why… why does this victory feel so easy?..
"Hhhaah!" Luna's breath caught sharply, her eyes widening instantly in fear. Cold sweat dripped down her neck, and an inexplicable terror seized her.
Her blood ran cold. Luna's hand clenched the edge of the table, overwhelmed by a sudden, profound dread. Something she saw on that screen sent a violent shiver through her.
Her voice trembled, "…Oh my god…"
Suddenly, Luna's voice exploded, filling the room completely.
"VICTOR! HAYATO! STOP THE COOLING! STOP THE COOLING NOW!"
Her sudden outburst silenced the room instantly. All eyes locked onto her.
General Victor Vorpal, Commander in Chief of Japanese Self Defense Force (JSDF) blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? What?"
Luna shot up so abruptly her chair toppled backward, breathing heavily and trembling. "ABORT IT! Call off the cooling helicopters! STOP THEM, NOW!"
General Victor frowned, glancing at the live feed. "What? We're almost done. It'll be finished in less than..."
"STOP IT NOW!" Luna's desperate shout cut him off sharply. Her entire body shook, hands clenched tightly into fists.
"Why? The battlefield will be safe to step onto soon. What's the problem?" General Victor remained puzzled, unable to understand Luna's panic.
Luna gripped her head tightly, her fingers digging into her scalp as her breathing became erratic. She clenched her fists and slammed them onto the table loudly.
DUAAGGHH..!
"OH MY GOD, VICTOR! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" she shouted, eyes filled with deep anxiety and dread, locked onto General Victor.
The entire room fell silent. A cold chill spread quickly through the conference hall.
Luna took a shaky step forward, her face deathly pale. "We… we forgot. We forgot the most important thing."
"Luna, what the hell are you talking about?" General Victor asked again, still confused, as other high-ranking officers exchanged uncertain glances.
"LOOK, VICTOR! LOOK! THE DIMENSION RIFT!" Luna snapped her head up, urgently pointing toward the monitor screen, her voice trembling.
All eyes turned immediately toward the drone feed—toward the parking lot. Instantly, the joyful atmosphere shattered into silence. Everyone now stared at the screen, at something crucial they had completely forgotten.
The source of the entire chaos at Sakamiya University—the bluish-green tear in reality, still standing firmly on the ground at the center of the parking lot. The Dimension Rift, the Void Gate as Luna called it, was still there. None of the heavy military strikes had managed to even scratch it. The Void Gate, an interdimensional gateway that couldn't be touched by any human weapon.
The celebratory mood died instantly. Several women panicked, hands covering their mouths in fear. Others stood in disbelief, stunned that despite defeating all those monsters, the Void Gate was still open.
"Then, that means…" Haruto murmured, his earlier feeling of unease now confirmed. But his words faltered, unable to finish as his stomach dropped.
Luna staggered back slightly, gripping her chest as if struggling to breathe. "Yes, we're not done. We're not done!"
"But we destroyed all fourteen monsters. How could—" Vice Marshal Shoji Arakawa started to argue, unable to believe the Void Gate remained open despite the destruction of all its creatures. Luna swiftly interrupted him.
"NO, THAT'S NOT HOW YOU CLOSE THE VOID GATE!" Luna shouted harshly.
A scientist summoned the courage to speak, his voice strained. "Then Luna, how exactly do we close it?"
"I… I still can't remember clearly. But it's definitely not just by destroying the monsters. There's something else we must do." Luna gripped her head, desperately attempting to recall or trigger any memories.
Colonel Hayato Yamazaki, as General Victor's right hand man stiffened, his normally composed expression breaking as sweat trickled down his forehead.
His voice emerged hoarse, "…We've used everything. We have no more resources left. No more Zeus Spears, no more Laser Swords, no more missiles." His hands trembled slightly as he stared helplessly at Victor.
He swallowed hard. "And… The Magma Cannon is empty. If anything else comes through there, we have nothing left to fight it." Colonel Hayato's head dropped in despair.
"And… by cooling the molten ground that was magma, you've actually cleared a smooth path for whatever comes next from the Void Gate. Stupid Victor! Do you realize what you've done?!" Luna's frustration was clear; without the cooling, the molten surface could have at least hindered whatever would emerge next.
General Victor stood shocked, completely stunned as he realized his decision had made things worse. Speechless, his eyes turned to the monitor, now seeing clearly the terrible consequence of his choice.
Luna's eyes widened in horror, her voice shaking as she whispered, "The second wave... is coming."
"Get ready! Those monsters are coming back! The second wave will arrive soon—this time, there might be even more!" Luna's urgent warning filled the room with dread.
"My Absolute Holy Barrier only has twenty minutes left before it vanishes. We can't hold off whatever comes next if we don't find the solution to eliminate them and close the Void Gate before the barrier is gone!" Luna's second warning made everyone start to panic.
"Oh my god…" Kanna clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in shock.
"All military officers—contact headquarters and all nearby bases immediately! Request reinforcements, NOW!" General Victor commanded sharply.
A horrifying realization descended upon them. If something else emerged from that Rift, they had nothing left to fight it. The tension in the room grew unbearable.
—
"Contact headquarters immediately! Request reinforcements and resupply for all weapon systems—we need everything they've got! Hurry!" Colonel Hayato ordered the two communications operators urgently.
He quickly grabbed the communication mic again. "All helicopter units, the next wave of monsters is imminent! Fly immediately back to central base, reload your ammunition, missiles, and spears, then return to Sakamiya in tight formation as soon as possible! MOVE NOW!"
"Yes, Colonel!" the helicopter pilots responded in unison.
Amid the rising tension, communications officers swiftly relayed the critical emergency to central military command. High-ranking officers quickly barked instructions into their headsets:
"HQ, we have a critical situation here! We need immediate reinforcements! Send additional Laser Cannon energy modules, Magma fluid containers, ammunition—everything we've got!"
One senior officer slammed his fist on the table angrily. "WHAT?! An hour? Are you kidding me?! Luna's Absolute Barrier has twenty minutes at best!"
"Yes, sir. It takes significant time to gather backup resources, and other combat helicopters are currently—" The headquarters operator's explanation was abruptly cut off.
"I DON'T CARE! Send reinforcements now! Thousands of lives are at stake here! BYPASS STANDARD PROCEDURES IF YOU HAVE TO—I'll take responsibility! JUST GET IT DONE NOW!" the officer shouted furiously, demanding immediate action at all costs.
Luna groaned softly in frustration, turning her gaze sharply toward General Victor. Her voice echoed clearly in the brief silence that followed.
"They're coming, Victor." she hissed anxiously. "I can sense it… the Chaos power…"
Then suddenly…
The floor began vibrating faintly, gradually intensifying. Within moments, the entire building shook noticeably, walls trembling, ceilings rattling. Windows and tables vibrated violently, scattering items onto the floor—electronics and communication equipment falling with loud crashes.
Several people swiftly grabbed monitors and critical equipment, preventing damage amid the increasing chaos.
"More earthquake..?!" Haruto was shocked as he staggered holding onto the wall to maintain his balance.
"Haruto-kun.. is this an earthquake from…" Kanna's words stopped, cold sweat dripping down her neck.
Within seconds, the tremors escalated from mild to violent, rattling the entire structure with alarming intensity.
**
Inside The Main Building
Lobby and Hallways
12:15 PM
"AAAAHHHH…!!"
Screams erupted throughout Sakamiya University as people lost their footing. Students, civilians, soldiers, and reporters stumbled, clutching desperately at whatever they could find to stay upright.
"EARTHQUAKE?!"
People shouted in panic, frantically trying to take cover beneath tables or rushing towards the lobby entrance. Yet maintaining balance proved nearly impossible as the shaking intensified.
A deep, resonant rumbling echoed through Tokyo, as if signaling the awakening of something enormous, something powerful.
Camera operators fell hard onto the floor, gripping their heavy equipment tightly to protect it. Glass panels rattled, metal frames creaked, and people clung desperately to furniture, walls, and railings, eyes wide with fear.
"What's happening?!" a campus security guard shouted, struggling to remain standing.
"Another earthquake?!" a student screamed, shielding his head with both hands.
"This is too strong—get down!" shouted an officer, sheltering a frightened civilian.
— — —
Across Tokyo and Surrounding Areas
Outside the university, chaos swept rapidly across Tokyo.
WEEEEOOOOO…!
WEEEEOOOOO…!
Earthquake sirens—typically reserved for tsunami warnings—blared urgently across the city, mixing with the panicked cries of citizens.
Emergency notifications flashed onto every phone in Tokyo:
"This is an emergency alert. A Magnitude 5.0 earthquake has been detected. Please take immediate precautions and seek shelter."
"An earthquake?!"
"Tsunami alarms are going off—what's happening?!"
"Oh my God…!"
At Shibuya's famous intersection, massive digital billboards trembled, flashing bright-red emergency alerts across every screen. People screamed in terror, dropping to the ground or gripping street poles, confusion and panic etched clearly on their faces.
CRAAASH..!
CLAAANGG..!
KREEAAKKK…!
"EARTHQUAKE! TAKE COVER!"
"KYAAA..!"
"GET DOWN..!"
In a high-rise office building, employees grabbed their desks as floors swayed dangerously. Papers flew, cups shattered, turning the usually orderly office into a nightmare of screams and disorder.
"AAAHHHH..!!"
"SOMEONE HELP!"
"HOLD ON TIGHT!"
At Tokyo Station, crowded platforms erupted into chaos, passengers collapsing in panic as train schedules switched abruptly to emergency alerts.
"DUCK DOWN!"
"Get under the tables!"
In a Ginza restaurant, a manager tried to calm his frightened customers as plates shattered around them. "Stay calm, everyone—it'll be over in a few seconds!"
"Tsunami alarms… is there a tsunami coming?"
"I'm scared…"
"Please, God…"
Inside a high school auditorium, teachers tried desperately to calm their students. But fear drowned their voices, students screaming or huddled together, whispering desperate prayers.
Yet despite the tsunami alarms, no tsunami came. People waited anxiously for official instructions, uncertain whether to flee or remain sheltered. The earthquake continued relentlessly, showing no signs of stopping.
30 seconds have passed, far too long for any normal earthquake…
— — — — —